KATHMANDU: Two kidnappers were gunned down by the police at Tokha last night, while 14 people have been arrested on the charge of abducting a youth. They were involved in the abduction of Dandup Lama, 17, of Gongabu VDC-3, Kathmandu.

Organising a press conference at Metropolitan Police Commissioner's Office, Rani Pokhari, this afternoon, Deputy Inspector General of Police Bharat GC informed that the duo were killed in the police action. "The police were forced to retaliate when the abductors opened fire. We have seized two pistols from them," he said. The deceased have been identified as Ramesh Sah and Sujit Tamang. Two of their accomplices, however, managed to flee, GC said. Among the 14 arrested, 11 were held in Kathmandu, while the rest of them were arrested in Nepalgunj. Taxi driver Hari Rai and Susmita Magar, who were also involved in the abduction, are still at large.

The kidnappers had demanded Rs 1 crore as ransom but later settled for Rs 7 million. Simha Bahadur Lama had deposited Rs 7 million at the Standard Chartered Bank, Baneshwor, but the abductors were nabbed in Nepalgunj before they could withdraw the money. Dandu was released on Thursday morning from Balkhu after the money was deposited.

Police have also recovered a 7.62mm Chinese pistol with a magazine and two bullets, brown sugar, three motorbikes, eight sets of mobiles, one golden ring and a silver ring. The abductors had kept Dandu in Saroj Simkhada's house, situated at Chattre Deurali-6 of Dhading district.